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Klingon
Description: Emperor Kahless the Unforgettable Description: First contact with Humans in 2151 Humanoid warrior civilization and one of the major powers of the galaxy, the Klingon species originates from the planet Qo'noS (pronounced Kronos), a Class M world. The Klingons are a proud, tradition-bound people who value honor. The aggressive Klingon culture has made them an interstellar military power to be respected and feared. Klingons believe that they have the instinctive ability to look an opponent in the eye and see the intent to kill. History and Politics The Klingon Empire was founded approximately 1,500 years ago by Kahless the Unforgettable, who performed many heroic feats including the unification of the Klingon people when he killed the tyrant Molor. The city of Kling, later to be known as the First City, was established as the seat of power. Thus the word TlhIngan (meaning 'those of Kling') came to be the name for the race - Klingon. The warrior ethos has always been important in Klingon society, but it has not always dominated in the way it does today. In the mid 21st century the warriors weren't nearly as powerful, and Klingon society was regarded as being much more fair and balanced. Over the next century the warriors gradually gained the upper hand, until the Klingons were widely regarded as a warrior race.It was even common practice for Klingons to sharpen their teeth before battle!. Despite initial appearances of success their first contact with Humanity in 2151 was disastrous, leading to decades of conflict. A period of peace followed, but ended in 2218 when relations shifted towards hostile again. Open warfare was was narrowly averted in 2266 by the intervention of the Organians. Over the years the Federation and Klingon Empire made several further attempts to coexist peacefully, with notable breakthroughs including the Korvat Negotiations in 2289 and the Khitomer accords in 2293. Peace was finally achieved after the incident at Narendra III, in which the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C) sacrificed themselves and their vessel to assist a Klingon colony under attack by Romulans. The peace held until 2372, when the Federation's refusal to support the Klingon's war against the Cardassians resulted in an attack on Deep Space Nine. The alliance was re-instated later in this year in order to present a united front against the Dominion threat. That alliance has continued to the present, and the two powers worked closely throughout the Dominion war. Klingon relations with the Romulans have also been somewhat variable. In the 2260s the two were at least somewhat friendly; Romulans used Klingon warships in their military. The two later became enemies; in 2344 the Romulans attacked the Klingon outpost on Narendra III, killing many Klingons. In 2367 the Romulans backed Duras in his attempt to claim the Chancellorship of the Klingon high council. The attempt failed when the Federation blockaded the Romulan border, preventing supplies from reaching Duras's forces. In theory the Klingon Government consists of an Imperial structure with a High Council advising the Emperor. However, for centuries the title of Emperor was left vacant and the Chancellor of the High Council has ruled the Empire. This situation was modified in 2369 when Kahless apparently returned from the dead, although it was later learned that the returned Kahless was in fact a clone of the original created by Klingon scientists. Despite this, Chancellor Gowron allowed the cloned Kahless to take the Imperial throne as a figurehead in order to promote unity among the Klingon people. *Klingon chancellorship The Klingons fought alongside both the Federation and Romulans in the war against the Dominion, acquitting themselves with great bravery in that conflict. During the final stages of the war Gowron was killed in single combat by Lieutenant Commander Worf, who then appointed General Martok as Chancellor. According to Daniels, the Klingons have joined the Federation by the 26th Century. (ENT: "Azati Prime") Society The Klingon Empire is adjacent to the Federation and Romulan Star Empire borders. A central government in the form of a Chancellor and an equally powerful High Council is located on the planet Qo'noS, but both Chancellor and Council members are roles only for males with powerful houses and a rightful lineage. Women may not serve on the Council, nor discommendated Klingons. Klingon society functions through a system of family reputation and honoor. Tradition is an integral part of their lives and breaking from observances is considered a grievious insult to society that is not forgotten easily: bringing shame to the offender's name for several generations. Bloodlines and relations are also taken very seriously by any true Klingon. Lines comprise of more than mere family members. An integral part of tradition is the various rituals that mark milestones in a Klingon's life or the history of the Empire. Most notable of the rites is the Rite of Succession, which a future leader of the Empire must complete with a valid Arbiter of Succession (Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the case of Gowron) overseeing the proceedings. Before the Rite can begin, there's another elaborate ceremony needed to confirm the death of the previous leader. This is known as the Sonchi Ceremony. For individual Klingon warriors, they are expected to go through the Rite of Ascension to be recognized as a full adult. Klingon women are treated as equals except in politics and matters of inheritance. They are prohibited by law from serving in the High Council and cannot take control of their houses unless they have the money and no male successors of the lineage. Otherwise, it is expected of Klingon women to exhibit the same physical prowess and lust for blood and honor as the men. Physiology On average Klingons are larger and physically stronger than Humans. They are noted for having no tear ducts, and while most have red blood there are some whose blood is distinctly pink. Klingons suffer from certain allergies, most notably a strong reaction to small furry animals such as Tribbles. Internally, Klingon physiology is markedly different from that of Humans. There is a great deal more multiple redundancy in their organs, a principle they call Brak'lul. This allows Klingons to survive severe injuries in battle. They have twenty three ribs, two livers, an eight chambered heart, and even redundant neural function and multiple stomachs! Surprisingly, Klingons have relatively little knowledge of their own biology and their medicine is very poorly developed. This is largely due to their warrior traditions - a Klingon who is wounded is expected to be left to survive or die through his own strength, or to undergo the Hegh'bat, a form of ritual suicide. Religion and Tradition *Klingon mythology Ritual is a very important element in Klingon society. The Klingons are not a religious people as such - they do believe that deities existed at one time, but the Klingons slew their gods about a thousand years ago as they were considered to be more trouble than they were worth. They believe that once a Klingon has died the spirit exits the body, leaving behind a worthless shell to be disposed of. It is traditional for those on hand to howl into the sky as a warning to the afterlife that a Klingon warrior is about to arrive. In some cases a funeral dirge is sung in memory to the deceased, or friends will sit with the body to protect it from predators, a practice known as Ak'voh. The Klingon afterlife is divided into two branches; the dishonoured are taken to Gre'thor aboard the Barge of the Dead, a vessel captained by Kortar, the first Klingon. Kortar was the one who originally killed the gods who created him, and was condemned to ferry the dishonoured to Gre'thor as a punishment. Once in Gre'thor the dishonoured are watched over by Fek'lhr, a vaguely Klingon-esque figure. It is tempting to view Fek'lhr as the Klingon equivalent of the Human devil, but in fact the Klingons have no devil. Those who die honorably go to Sto-vo-kor, where Kahless was said to await them. Klingon rituals include the R'uustai, a bonding ceremony which joins two people together in a relationship similar to brotherhood. Klingon tradition holds that "the son of a Klingon is a man the day he can first hold a blade." If a Klingon warrior strikes another Klingon with the back of his hand, it is interpreted as a challenge to the death. Klingon warriors speak proudly to each other; they do not whisper or keep their distance. Standing far away or whispering are considered insults in Klingon society. Science and Technology *Klingon Ship Classes *List of Klingon starships *Klingon blade weapons People *Azetbur *B'Etor *Chang *Drex *Duras, son of Ja'rod *Duras, son of Toral *Gorkon *Gowron *Kahless *Kang *K'Ehleyr *Klaa *Klaang *K'mpec *Koloth *Kor *Koral *Korok (assimilated by the Borg) *Korrd *Kortar *Kruge *Kurn *Linkasa *Lursa *Martok *Mogh *Molor *Sirella *Valkris *Vixis *Worf Background information Klingons were first seen in Errand of Mercy TOS, and throughout the original Star Trek series. At the time, they appeared as fairly ordinary humans with heavy makeup and mustaches. Beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, improved makeup techniques, and bigger budgets, led to their present elaborate forehead designs. The differences between the two types of Klingons have never been definitively explained on the show, although Worf, in Trials and Tribble-ations (DS9), made it very clear that this is not something the Klingons discuss with outsiders. The issue was further complicated when three Klingons, Kor, Koloth, and Kang, who had appeared in the Original Series with the original makeup design, appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine wearing the motion picture style Klingon foreheads. According to David Alexander, in Star Trek Creator, a biography of Gene Roddenberry, Roc Books, 1994, the Klingons were named for Lieutenant Wilbur Clingan, a friend of Roddenberry who served with him in the Los Angeles Police Department. References *TOS: "Errand of Mercy" *TOS: "Day of the Dove" *TNG: "Devil's Due" *DS9: "Homefront" *TNG: "The Bonding" *VOY: "Emanations" *TNG: "Rightful Heir" *TNG: "Ethics" *TNG: "The Bonding" *DS9: "Sons of Mogh" *DS9: "Apocalypse Rising" *VOY: "Macrocosm"